


The Mystery of the Missing Mistletoe

by methylviolet10b



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Holidays, Mystery, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 16:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/600012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's something mysterious about mistletoe this year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mystery of the Missing Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Written for thesmallhobbit, in response to the following prompt: The strange theft of something Christmas related.

“Honestly, Lestrade.” Sherlock looked at him in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“Dead serious, Sherlock,” the DI sighed. “Look, I know it sounds like a lark, or a prank gone wrong, but this is the fifth lorry of mistletoe to get hijacked in two weeks. And this time the driver’s gone missing.”

“Probably stole the whole lot to begin with,” Sherlock sneered. “Have you investigated him?”

“Of course, as much as we could have, seeing as he only went missing this morning  – but there’s no way he could have done it all himself. He has a rock-solid alibi for two of the incidents, and he doesn’t match the physical description of any of the hijackers, either.”

“Such as they are,” John qualified. “’Three fellows in hooded robes’ isn’t exactly specific.”

“No, but the footprint evidence from two of the scenes is. The tracks were consistent between the two, and none of the marks match Davison’s prosthetic.”

“Wait. The driver had an artificial limb?” John sounded surprised, and Sherlock showed a faint interest.

“Yes. Davison lost his left leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident when he was a teenager.”

“Hm.” Sherlock straightened up from his sprawl on the sofa and brought his hands to rest steepled beneath his chin. “You hadn’t mentioned that. And none of the news reports have said that he’s a cripple.”

“Sherlock!” John sputtered.

“What?” Sherlock asked blankly. He turned his head to glance towards John. “Oh. A bit not good?”

“Exactly.”

“So noted. But this is _important_ , John. There’s something about mistletoe and cripples…” Sherlock’s eyes grew vague, as they did when he went into his ‘mind palace,’ as he called it.

Mindful of that, John lowered his voice as he asked Greg his next question. “Why mistletoe?”

Greg kept his voice quiet, too. “If we knew that, maybe we wouldn’t need Sherlock on this. But with a man missing, we really do need him, John.”

“I know you do. And I need him to take a case before he decides on another ‘holiday-themed’ experiment to keep him from being bored. I’m still finding bits of mince pies all over from the last ‘test.’” John shuddered just thinking about it.

Abruptly Sherlock’s eyes refocused and fixed on Lestrade with full intensity. “The last lorry. You found it empty and abandoned, driver missing –but you found the vehicle itself?”

“Yes.”

“And it was in working order?”

“Yes,” Greg confirmed.

“Where exactly did you find it?”

Greg frowned slightly. “Near Hampton Heath, on Well Road, near East Heath.”

“Of course!” Sherlock sprang up and reached for his coat. “Come on, then!”

“What? Where?” Greg demanded, even as John swiftly donned his own jacket.

Sherlock glared at him. “Isn’t it obvious? Hampstead Heath! They must have had horses waiting.”

“Huh?”

If anything, Sherlock looked even more impatient at Greg’s bewildered exclamation. “Oak trees, of course! They were looking for an oak tree – preferably the biggest and oldest they could find in a place where they wouldn’t be interrupted. Now come on – if we hurry, and we’re lucky, we might just be in time!”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted December 19, 2012


End file.
